Father Samir: the young Afghan attacker in the Würzburg train might have been indoctrinated via the Internet
The 17-year-old refugee had been placed with a German family. During his attack, he seriously wounded four people. Jihadi preachers use social media more than direct contacts. The possibility that terrorists might hide among refugees is "almost zero".
Munich (AsiaNews) – The Afghan teenager who carried out an ax attack in Germany arrived in the country as a refugee. Placed with a German family, "he had not given any sign of radicalism".
In all likelihood his drift towards radical Islam "is due to Jihadi teachings and preachers on the Internet,” said Fr Samir Khalil Samir, a Jesuit scholar of Islam.
The clergyman is one of the foremost Christian experts of the Muslim world. Currently in Germany for work, he spoke to AsiaNews about the incident.
In his view, fear of Islamic terrorism should not be linked to refugees, but despair can overwhelm some who see no future for themselves.
Yesterday, around 9 pm (local time), a 17-year-old Afghan refugee armed with an axe and knife attacked people on a train near the town of Wurzburg (Bavaria), seriously wounding four people. Other people suffered minor injuries.
The attacker was killed as he tried to flee the scene. He had arrived in Germany about a year ago as an unaccompanied minor, and had lived at first in a refugee camp and then placed with a German couple.
“It is quite probable that this was an Islamist attack," said a spokesman for the Bavarian Interior Ministry.
Witnesses quoted by German media said they heard him shout "Allahu akbar" ("God is great") during the attack.
Last year, Germany opened its door to 1.1 million refugees, mostly Afghans and Syrians fleeing the war in their respective countries.
Unlike France, Belgium, and Great Britain, Germany has not had any major terrorist attacks, apart from one last May on a southern train where a 27-year-old man, armed with a knife, killed one person and injured three others.
In this case, the doctors said that the attacker was "unstable", although he too had shouted "Allah akbar" at the time of the attack.
Since she opened Germany’s borders, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has come in for blistering criticisms for her policy of openness to refugees.
Incidents like last night’s is sowing fear in the population about Islamic terrorists among the refugees. However, for Fr Samir, “the possibility of having terrorists among the refugees is minimal.”
“There is a refugee camp close to where I work,” he explained. “They are well accepted and are happy for the aid they receive from the state. Integration is also very good, especially through refugee children who go to school. Adults also get German lessons and civic education.”
“I believe that for this young man indoctrination came from the Internet. In Europe Jihadi preachers are more effective through social media than through direct relationship."
Still, "These incidents or attacks should not undermine our open door policy. The possibility that some terrorists may be among the refugees is minimal, almost zero. But some refugees, perhaps driven by despair at the lack of a future, might be captured by Islamic radicalisation."
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